The Key To The Heart
by xlostangelx
Summary: Libby's is the kind of girl who keeps her heart locked away, but there is one young man on the island who is set to change that. HurleyLibby some Skate AU after What Kate Did. Formerly titled The New Girl
1. Just Like Grade School

A/N: Okay, this was just a plot bunny that attacked me yesterday, and I was up until almost midnight writing this under the covers of my bedroom with a flashlight. I may or may not continue this, depends on what people think. I have some _ideas_ for continuing it, but sometimes it's best not to improve perfection. Anyway, here's my little story. This takes place _during _What Kate Did, from Hurley's POV. And I apologize for any typos; the plot bunny came with a typo fairy…o.0…Oh well…On with the show!

He was surprised when he saw her at the funeral.

He hadn't expected any of her people to come. People blamed her because of her association with Ana Lucia. And he saw how alone she looked. She was standing away from everyone else looking unwanted and almost afraid. And she had good reason. It wasn't like everyone had fallen over themselves to welcome her, and few people actually trusted her. When she, Jin, and Bernard had arrive at the camp, Hurley had watched Jin receive a hero's welcome, watched Bernard and Rose's loving reunion, and watched Libby stand there, looking out of place and uncomfortable. Bernard _had _introduced her to Rose, but other than that, she was treated like the outsider she was.

Hurley couldn't help wondering why he felt such pity for a woman he barely knew. He'd never even spoken to her, yet he felt this strange attachment. Perhaps it was because he knew what it felt like to be alone. After he had won the lottery, he had become a mini celebrity. People flocked to him. Girls he didn't even know asked him out. And knowing they only wanted him for the money made it much worse. And after the bad luck really set in, he was alone.

As the funeral went on, he watched her. She had cleaned up and gotten a change of clothes from someone, but no amount of scrubbing could wash away the beat up and miserable look she carried back with her. Hurley didn't know what had gone on over on the other side of the island, but whatever it was, it sure didn't look like it had been much fun.

Sayid was making his speech, and he saw her silently crying. It moved him that she would cry for the death of a woman she had never met. Maybe she was just a really sensitive person, or maybe it just reminded her of all she and her friends had gone through. Whatever it was, she was crying hard and Hurley was feeling a strong urge to go over and comfort her.

But that was silly. Hurley had never spoken to the woman, and he could hardly expect her to accept comforting from a guy like him. She was pretty good looking, and her standards were probably a lot higher than someone like him…

What was he thinking? Why did he care about her standards? It wasn't like he was _romantically_ interested in the woman. He just felt sorry for her…didn't he?

Okay, maybe his interest went a little bit farther than pity.

The first step is admitting it, and Hurley had to admit that he had a crush. He almost laughed as he though about it. It was like back in 2nd grade, when he'd had a crush on the pretty new girl. Except now, he was a grown man and he could actually do something other than stare, daydream, and not pay attention in class.

He waited until the funeral was over. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, yet she still looked pretty to Hurley. Beautiful, even. He watched her break away from the moving crowds and sit a little ways down on the beach, staring out at the crashing waves. She looked so distraught, and Hurley's heart broke for her. Clearly, she was a woman who had gone through a lot, on and perhaps off the island.

As he approached, he noticed that she was crying again, and wondered if it was a good idea to try and talk to her. She might feel like he was invading her privacy. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided to risk it.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hurley asked, trying to keep concern and pity as the only emotions in his voice, "I mean, I like saw you before and during the funeral and all, and I thought you looked kinda lonely,"

She looked up at him, her face a mix of pleasure and surprise. She wiped a tear away and smiled at him.

"I'm fine," She assured him in a falsely cheerful voice.

Hurley raised an eyebrow, her words so obviously a lie. But he didn't press things. Instead, he simply nodded and began to walk away.

"Wait-"

He heard her voice calling him back and he turned around. Libby heaved a sigh before speaking.

"You're right. I am lonely," She admitted, "And I'm not fine. I feel scared and guilty and unwanted, and that girl-Shannon's-funeral, made me remember all our miserable experiences on the other side of the island. And," She paused uncomfortably before continuing, "experiences prior to the island," The words came spilling out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying.

Hurley certainly felt surprised that this woman would spill her heart out to him the first time they ever spoke.

Libby looked embarrassed.

"I can't believe I just told you all that,"

"Hey, dude, it's cool. I won't press things if you don't want me to," Hurley assured. He smiled at her, then said, "It just looked like you, y'know, needed a friend or something,"

"I do," Libby said sadly, "The way your people look at me, Bernard, and Eko… Just because Ana killed Shannon they expect us all to be bloodthirsty maniacs. They act like it's our fault," She paused for a moment and sighed, "I suppose, to some degree, it is. I should have talked to Ana, stopped her…"

"Now wait a minute. I dunno exactly what happened, but from what I've seen and heard about that Ana chick, there was probably no way you could have stopped her," Hurley told her.

"Yeah, you're probably right," She gave him a small, sad smile, "You know, I really appreciate you coming over here. It's making me feel better, talking to you,"

Hurley grinned and shrugged.

"Glad I could help,"

"Unless you're busy with other stuff, why don't you sit down for a bit?" Libby patted the spot next to her, and Hurley gladly accepted the offer.

"I'm Hugo, by the way, but you can call me Hurley,"

"Hurley, nice to meet you. I'm Libby," Even with a red and tearstained face, her smile was still pretty.

Hurley grinned to himself as he thought, _well, it's a start._

A/N: In the time that it took me to type this up, I decided that more chapters will be coming. I'm creating my own back-story for Libby (or Libs, as she is nicknamed by someone in the real world). But, I won't update unless I get at least a couple reviews. Kapiche? Did I even spell that right? Good. Now read, review, enjoy!


	2. Memories and Tears

A/N: Ok, I now have all of the chapters of this story written, I just have to type them up and get them betaed (Special thanks to Bella-writer for the betaing). I'll probably be posting about one or two chapters a week.

This chapter is the same events of chapter one, from Libby's POV. Flashbacks are italicized. This is AU from after the funeral scene in WKD on.

BTW, I'll do five minutes of typing each day for each reveiw I recieve. Flames are accepted, as long as, if you say my story sucks, you give reasons why it sucks and suggestions to make it better. I'll ignore anything that just says "This is crap" without giving a reason. Also, with good reveiws, I'd like it if you tell me what it is you like about the story, so I can keep that up.

Ok, I'm done rambling now. Enjoy the story!

* * *

She noticed him watching her at the funeral. 

She didn't even know his name, but she did know he was one of them. The people who didn't trust her. He was probably expecting her to jump out of the crowd and shoot another one of their people. Libby sighed miserably and resumed watching the funeral.

_Adorned in a black velvet dress, Libby stood, holding the hand of a little girl, about two years old. Her other hand rested on her slightly pregnant stomach. She listened intently to the words spoken by the pastor, tears streaking her cheeks._

_"We will all mourn Joseph Rhys Donnagun. He was a great man, a loving husband, and a wonderful father,"_

_Libby stared at the still body of her husband. His skin was normally fair, but it was almost chalk white, and the freckles dusting his cheeks stood out more than ever, like sand on a piece of paper. His red-blond hair was combed down; it was an unusual look for him, since his air usually stuck up in every direction known to man. It was hard to believe that was her husband. It looked more like a carved wax figure, too still, too pale. But she knew better._

_Libby choked back a sob. Her shaking hand gripped tighter on her daughter's small one._

Love hurts, _Libby told herself miserably as the pastor's speech continued, _and I can't be strong for my children if I keep getting my heart broken.

_Right then and there, Libby swore never to fall in love again._

Libby's heart ached for Sayid. She knew, all too well, how it felt to lose a loved one. The memory of her husband and seeing the Iraqi man in so much pain overwhelmed her, and silent tears began to fall down her cheeks.

The funeral ended and people began making their way back to whatever they needed to do. Libby noticed the man still watching her. Embarrassed, she broke away from the crowds, but before she could get too far away, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Libby, are you okay?" Bernard's face was full of concern. They had become good friend on the other side of the island, him almost being like a father to her. Like the father she had lost so long ago…

Libby snapped out of her thoughts and shrugged.

"I was, uh, just thinking about Cindy," She lied. She _had _been good friends with Cindy as well, but that had most certainly not been what she was thinking about.

Bernard still looked concerned, but he nodded and continued on with his wife and the rest of the crowd. Libby headed the other way, down the beach. She sat down, feeling more alone than ever before. She stared out ever the crashing waves, memories washing over her like the tide.

_Flashback_

_Libby was in the middle of bathing her two-year-old daughter Andrea when the phone rang. She plucked her daughter from the tub, and carried her out to the hall. She balanced the naked child in one arm and picked up the phone in the other._

_"Hello, Donnagun residence, Libby speaking,"_

_"Hey, Libs, it's me," Her husband's voice sounded upset and worried._

_"Joe, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly, "You sound upset,"_

_"Yeah, my car broke down in a bad part of town, near the pool hall. I called a mechanic, though, so I don't want you to worry," The deep concern in his voice betrayed his assuring words._

_"Not worry?" Libby squeaked, "Isn't that right by where that woman got murdered just last week?"_

_"Yeah, uh, Libs, I gotta go, I'll call you ba-,"_

_Libby screamed as she heard the cell clatter to the ground, followed by several gunshots, a yell of pain, and cries of shock. _

_"Mommy?" She heard her daughter call out, but Libby didn't hear her. She only could hear the sounds of moans and grunts and she called the name 'Joe' over and over. _

She hardly noticed when someone came up to her.

"Hey, are you okay? She heard the voice from over her shoulder, "I mean, I like, saw you before and during the funeral and all, and I though you looked kinda lonely,"

She turned to face him and saw the same man who was staring at her during the funeral. Okay, she'd been wrong. He'd been (most likely) staring at her out of concern and pity instead of suspicion.

"I'm fine," She lied, trying to make her voice sound bright and cheery. He obviously didn't fall for it, but still, he began to walk away.

Before she realized what she was doing, she called him back.

"Wait…"

He turned back around and Libby's emotions began tumbling out of her mouth uncontrollably.

"You're right. I am lonely. And I'm not fine. I feel scared and guilty and unwanted, and that girl – Shannon's – funeral made me remember all our miserable experiences on the other side of the island, and my experiences prior to the island,"

She broke off before she gave this man her entire biography. She was shocked at herself. She usually kept her heart so well locked up, but this man had somehow found the key, or at least broken through at her weak spot. She was embarrassed, and it showed.

"I can't believe I just told you all that,"

"Hey, dude, it's cool," He replied with a kind smile, "I won't press things if you don't want me to. I just though it looked like you, y'know, needed a friend or something,"

"I do," Libby sighed. She had, for longer than she'd even been on the island. Over a year now. She had always been paid to listen to other people's problems, to be other people's friends, but ever since Joe had died, she hadn't really had any friends of her own.

"The way your people look at me, Bernard, and Eko…" She continued, "Just because Ana killed Shannon, they expect us all to be bloodthirsty maniacs. They act like it's our fault. I suppose, to some degree, it is. I should have talked to Ana, stopped her…" Libby confessed miserably, once again being stupid and opening her heart to this total stranger. It was like a reversal of roles. Usually she was the one coaxing people to spill their emotions, yet this man was able to open her up so easily. Perhaps he was a shrink, too. She snapped out of her thoughts as she realized the man was speaking again.

"Now wait a minute. I dunno exactly what happened, but from what I've seen and heard about that Ana chick, there was probably no way you could have stopped her,"

Libby knew he was right, and had, deep down, known that all along, but it felt good to have someone assure her of that. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, you're probably right," She paused, and then went on, "You know, I really appreciate you coming over here. It's making me feel better, talking to you," It was true. It actually felt good to tell this stranger what was on her mind. Huh. Now she knew what her customers felt like.

"Glad I could help," He said with a shrug.

"Unless you're busy with other stuff, why don't you sit down for a bit?" Libby offered. She felt a sharp pang of regret as she remembered all her vows never to get involved with guys. But it wasn't like this was a commitment, right? She just needed a friend and he was offering. Simple as that. He accept the offer to sit down, and he introduced himself as he did so.

"I'm Hugo, by the way, but you can call me Hurley," He said, smiling at her.

"Hurley, nice to meet you. I'm Libby," She replied, returning the smile, she tried to keep it less than flirty. He definitely seemed nice, and not a bad person to spend time with.

Little did she know, just in talking to him, she let a little piece of the cage she kept around her heart breakaway.


	3. Talk The Day Away

A/N: Yes, I am aware that this is the third time this chapter has been posted, but my beta finally got back to me. Life has been very crazy lately (Especially since Valentines Day…), so I apologize for the delay. I promise you, though, if you do not review, there will be no next chapter. I'm gonna wait until I get at least 4 reviews to update. Also, I've decided that the official Hurley/Libby ship name shall be Hubby. Yes, I am in charge. So there. Review or else.

* * *

It gave Hurley a nice, warm feeling in his heart to know that he'd made her feel better. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure what he'd done to do that, other than talk to her. He expected there was something more to her misery, other that what she had told him. But he had pushed his luck enough for one day. Perhaps she would tell him later.

>>>>>>>>>

A though occurred to Libby out of nowhere: there had been extra clothes, since the entire luggage had been in the fuselage, but what had they done with useless things? She'd had important stuff in her suitcase. There was her diary, her jewelry box (there was no way she would have ever left that back at home), and her photo album. What she wouldn't give to have those items back…there was a lifetime of memories in each of those.

"Hurley, what did you and all your buddies do with, like, useless things from the luggage?" She asked, "You know, things like books, toys, photo albums, et cetera,"

Hurley considered the question for a moment, and then spoke.

"Well, first we went through everything, looking for names and information for the memorial service we had," He began, "Then, I dunno what really happened to it. I guess stuff was just left for people to take whatever they wanted,"

"Oh," Libby said disappointedly, "So there's probably no chance of finding all the contents of my suitcase together?"

"'Fraid not," Hurley replied, "You'll just have to ask around,"

Libby didn't reply. She had just lost the last chance of finding the one item that kept the memory of both her husband and her father alive.

_Libby stared, nauseated at her husband's pale form lying on the hospital bed. He had died before she had even gotten there, from a bullet wound in the head. She sat by the bed, staring at the shell that was once her husband. Her hand drifted to her stomach._

Oh, god_, She though miserably, _What am I going to do? Andrea…and the baby…I can't raise them on my own!

"_Why did you do this to me?" She sobbed, clutching her husband's cold hand in her shaking one._

"_Libby?" She looked up to see her older sister, Celia, standing in the doorway. Libby could tell she'd been crying too._

_Celia walked over to Libby and stared at Joe's body._

"_How could this have happened?" Celia wondered aloud._

_Libby ignored the question, "Cece, could you take Andrea home?" Libby asked her sister in a hoarse voice._

"_Of course," Celia murmured, "Is there anything else you need?"_

_Libby shook her head numbly and her sister nodded and headed out the door._

_She wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. Leaving would be like admitting he was really gone. Silent tears were streaming down her face as she slipped the wedding ring off his finger._

"You sure you're okay?" Hurley asked gently. She must have looked upset.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit homesick," Libby murmured.

"I know the feeling," Hurley sighed, "I was coming back to LA for my mom's birthday. Nice present, huh?"

"You and your mom were close, then?" Libby asked.

"Yeah, I was close to my whole family"

Libby felt close to tears again

"Me too,"

>>>>>>>>>>

Hurley felt bad for making her upset again. There was clearly something haunting her, causing her pain, and he didn't like reminding her of that…whatever it was. He decided to try to steer the conversation to something more cheerful.

"What do you do in the real world, Libby?" He questioned casually.

"I'm a psychologist," She replied, losing her melancholy tone, but not sounding exactly cheery. "What about you?"

"I own a couple companies," He boasted. He wasn't going to tell her about his lottery win quite yet, but it wouldn't hurt to make himself sound impressive.

"Wow," Libby did look impressed, so far so good, "I wouldn't have taken you for the business man type"

"I'm a man of many talents," He laughed.

She studied him for a moment.

"I just can't imagine you in a suit and tie," She remarked with a slight smirk.

He chuckled, and his heart swelled at the smile on her face.

"Well, I don't have to wear one here, and that's one of the few perks of living on an island. That and getting to sleep in every morning,"

She let out a small giggle, and though it wasn't much, it was music to Hurley's ears. He was glad to have taken her mind off her miserable thoughts.

>>>>>>>>>>

It shocked her how easy he was to talk to, how he could bring her from misery to laughter in mere moments. He was just so sweet and friendly. But as their conversation wore on, her mind couldn't help drifting back to the only other man who she had felt this comfortable with-her husband.

_Her mind and heart were engulfed in a black fog. She couldn't think ,she couldn't breathe, she felt like she was the living dead. God only knows how she managed to drive home. She was almost disappointed that she hadn't crashed and killed herself. The only thing strong enough to penetrate her fog was the thought of Andrea, and that's all that kept her from flinging herself into the middle of the highway. _

_When she finally managed to stumble home, Celia greeted her sorrowfully._

"_Sis, I'm so sorry," Celia pulled Libby close to her, trying to offer solace, but no amount of consolation could heal Libby's broken heart. She broke away and asked in a hollow voice, "Is Andrea in bed?" _

_Celia nodded, her blue eyes fixed on her sister pityingly._

"_Thanks for watching her," Libby said softly, "I've got everything under control now,"_

_Celia opened her mouth, undoubtedly to ask Libby if she was sure, but a look from her younger sister stopped her. Instead, she just nodded, and headed towards the door._

_Libby leaned against the wall briefly, the house feeling suffocating empty._

_As if in a dream, Libby made her way down the hallway to her and Joe's bedroom. On top of her dresser sat a rosewood jewelry box. Etched into the top was her full name, Elizabeth Lucille Simmons. _

_She dumped the contents onto her dresser and began sorting through it without really knowing what she was doing._

_She pulled out the diamond necklace from their first anniversary, the delicate gold earrings she had worn on their very first date, the silver bracelet he had given her as a graduation gift, and other things, all things symbolized the love she had lost. These were carefully placed in the jewelry box. The rest of the things were unceremoniously pushed to the side._

_Silent tears streamed down her already blotchy cheeks as she pulled Joe's wedding ring out of her pocket. She stared at the gold band, turning it over in her shaking fingers before placing it tenderly in the box. Finally, she pulled her own ring off her finger and placed it next to her husband's._

"_Daddy, when you gave me this box you said you'd always be there for me, even when you weren't actually with me!" Libby cried, sobbing inconsolably, "But you broke your promise! I lost you, and now I lost him! Why couldn't you protect me from this!"_

>>>>>>>>>>>

Hurley was completely caught up in his conversation with Libby. He loved making her smile and her laughter was intoxicating. Maybe, just maybe, she could think of him as more than just "the fat guy", the guy who was good for a couple laughs, for cheering up. Maybe she wouldn't end up running off to one of the good-looking guys. Maybe he actually did have a shot with her. It was all about the maybe, and it was a maybe that he wasn't about to let slip away.

He was so distracted by her, that he totally lost track of time. When he finally glanced at his watch it was already 5:15.

"Dang it…" He muttered angrily.

"What?" Libby asked, clearly worried.

"I'm fifteen minutes late for button duty," He grumbled, "I'm sorry, Libby, but I gotta go. Unless…" He perked up like a puppy dog, "…You wanna come with me"

"Sure!" Libby replied with a smile, "I haven't seen the hatch yet,"

"Great," Hurley grinned, getting to his feet, "C'mon, let's go,"

He helped her to her feet, and they headed towards the hatch, chatting amiably. Hurley felt like he was walking on air. He wasn't sure if this was love, but whatever it was, it sure made him feel good.

"Hurley?" Libby piped up. Her tone worried him, but he kept his voice cool replying only with a small "Mmm-hmmm?"

"I really appreciate you trying to help me and all, but I have one small request," Libby chewed on her bottom lip.

"Go on…" Hurley prompted uneasily. That didn't sound nor look good.

"Please don't fall in love with me,"


	4. Just Friends

A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO SORRY for the long wait. I totally lost inspiration after Dave (because, even though I have everything written up, by the time I go to type it, I'm practically re-writing the chapter). Also, I had it all typed up before Dave, and it was on my dad's flash drive, and he deleted it! So, here it is, it's a bit longer that the other chapters. Next chapter is the best (and longest) though. I'm gonna try to get that one up ASAP. Now, review, or else! The more reviews, the better! This story is getting really, really, AU though… my Libby is practically an OC. Remember, everything that happens after about halfway through What Kate Did is not included in this story. Hurley isn't hoarding food, no Fenry, no Walt on the computer, etc. Now read and review. Or else.

* * *

Hurley had no idea how to reply to that. His brain was spinning, trying to think up a suitable response, and he ended up babbling like an idiot before he managed to form an answer.

"Uh…eh. Um…why not?" He managed to get out. He immediately regretted his words after seeing Libby's face.

"Just don't" She murmured, averting her eyes.

Hurley nodded slowly, knowing that was all the answer he was going to get.

They continued on, now both of them rather uncomfortable and unwilling to speak. The walk was silent, until they finally came upon the hatch's back entrance.

"Is this it?" Libby asked nervously. Hurley nodded, and he opened the door for her and led her inside.

>>>>>>>>>>>

As Libby walked through the door, her jaw dropped in shock. After living on an island for a month and a half with no touch of human life whatsoever, being dropped into what seemed like civilization came as quite a shock. Libby simply stared and drank everything in.

"This is so amazing!" She squealed, walking over and flopping on the couch, breathing a sigh of contentment.

Hurley nodded in agreement.

"Would you like the grand tour?" He offered.

"Of course!" Libby sat up excitedly.

"Right this way, then," He offered a hand to help her up.

>>>>>>>>>>

The first room Hurley showed her was the computer room.

"Dude, Locke, I'm here," He called, "Sorry I'm late!"

"Don't worry about it, there are so many people here it hardly matters," Locke replied cheerily before continuing to look over something with the black man from the tail section.

"Hello, Libby," The black man greeted her, not looking up from his work.

"Hey, Eko," Libby replied, gazing around in wonderment. She turned back to Hurley and asked, "What is this place? What are all these computers?"

And so Hurley launched into the story of the hatch and the button. Libby's eyes grew progressively wider, and her jaw dropped subsequently lower as the story went on.

When the story was over, Libby said the exact same thing everyone else had.

"You push a button every 108 minutes and you don't know why?" A smile twitched on her lips, "Why, if you were one of my patients, I'd say that borders on obsessive-compulsive,"

"Dude, this is Locke's deal. Don't try to analyze _me_ now,"

>>>>>>>>>>>>

She had already seen the living room/kitchen area when she came in, so Hurley led her into the bedroom. They were both surprised to see Sawyer sitting up in bed, talking to Kate.

"Oh, sorry dudes, didn't mean to interrupt," Hurley apologized, after receiving an 'I was about to get it on with a hot chick' glare from Sawyer, and a slightly annoyed glance from Kate, "I'm just giving Libby here the grand tour,"

"Glad to see you're awake, Sawyer," Libby added politely. She didn't notice as Hurley shot her a slightly jealous look. Sawyer smirked at both of them.

"I thought this _hatch_ thing was weird enough, but one of us flirtin' with one o' them? And Lardo, of all people! Ain't that somethin', Freckles?" Kate shot Sawyer a reproachful look, but there was an amused twinkle in her eye.

"He is not flirting with me!" Libby insisted hotly, and Hurley looked at the ground embarrassedly, "At least he talks to me, and that's a hell of a lot more than some of your people!"

"Eager to deny it, sweetcheeks?' Sawyer chuckled "You can keep up the 'just friends' act all you want, but Fatso here is eager for something more, if you know what I mean,"

"Okay, on with the tour!" Hurley said loudly, dragging Libby away. AS soon as they were out of the room, Hurley began a hurried apology.

"I'm sorry, that dude's so immature-" Libby cut him off, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hurley, it's okay, I know it's not your fault," She insisted. A chill ran down his spine at her touch, "You forget, I know Sawyer, I journeyed back to this side of the island with him,"

Hurley smiled with relief, but inside he was still burning with embarrassment.

"You, uh, want some real food?" He asked. Her eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded excitedly. He laughed, "Right this way, I'll show you to the pantry,"

There weren't very many things left, what hadn't been eaten the first night had been cleaned out by whoever was assigned to button duty, but there were a few straggling items to choose from.

"There's not much of a selection, but help yourself anyway," The last line was pointless; Libby was already poking around the shelves. Hurley watched with an amused smile on his lips.

After several moments of searching, Libby let out a gasp.

"What ? What is it?" Hurley asked, a little bit worried. He was hoping Libby wasn't the kind of girl who freaked out every time she saw a miniscule spider or something like that.

"There's a box of chocolate bars stuck back here," She was struggling to pull a box loose from where in had fallen and seemed to have gotten stuck behind the shelves.

After a moment of tugging, the box flew loose, sending Libby stumbling back, straight into Hurley. He caught her easily, not knowing what else to do.

Libby straightened up immediately, her cheeks flaming red. Hurley also felt his cheeks grow hot.

"Sorry…about…that…" Libby mumbled, refusing to meet his eye.

"No worries," He replied, trying to sound as casual as possible, as if girls fell into him every day.

"On a brighter note, I found chocolate!" Libby showed him the dusty box of Apollo bars.

"Dude! No way! That's awesome!" Hurley laughed, "I thought all the chocolate was eaten when we first opened this up!"

Libby didn't reply. She was too busy opening the box and hurriedly unwrapping the chocolate bar. She had it raised to her lips and was about to take a bite when Hurley stopped her.

"Wait," He said, holding his own unwrapped chocolate bar, "We should toast,"

"Toast," Libby echoed incredulously, "With…the chocolate bars?"

"Yeah!" Hurley nodded enthusiastically. He raised the Apollo bar, "To chocolate,"

"To chocolate!" Libby agreed, laughing and raising her candy as well. After they had done their little toast, Libby began cramming as much chocolate as could fit into her mouth. Hurley ate slower, watching Libby amusedly. She had the entire chocolate bar finished in ten seconds flat. Hurley chuckled.

"Careful, you'll make yourself sick," He warned, "Now, c'mon, are you interested in some music?"

Libby nodded eagerly, and trailed after Hurley, but not after shoving two more candybars in her pocket on the way.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"So, uh…what do you want to listen to?" Hurley asked, looking through all the records, "Most of this stuff here I've never even heard of…"

"Whatever you want," Libby said. She was walking along the edge of the room, mesmerized by all the stuff in there. Books, records, everything!

Just as the music began playing, here eyes fell on a rosewood box. Her heart twisted at the familiarity of it.

_Tick…Tick…Tick…Tick…_

_The faint noise of the clock set a rhythm to the argument. Eight-year-old_ _Libby lay still in her bed, her frightened eyes wide open. The faint moonlight peered in through a crack in her drapes, illuminating the clock to that the time of 12:10 could be read. Her parents screaming rang out from their bedroom across the hall._

_Libby's eyes were brimming with tears and she squeezed them shut, trying to block everything out._

"_If you have such a problem with everything I do, why don't you just leave!" Came her mother's frustrated voice. There was a moment of silence. Libby assumed that her father kept a quieter tone with his reply. Seconds later, she heard her father's footsteps coming towards her door. She relaxed her body, pretending to be asleep._

"_Elizabeth?" Her father called softly. He was the only person who ever called her Elizabeth, "I know you're awake. I need to talk to you,"_

_She reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up. Her father perched himself on the edge of the bed and took her small hand in his._

"_Elizabeth, I'm going to have to leave for a while," He murmured, stroking her fingers methodically._

"_Where? For how long?" Her eyes grew wide and fearful. Who was taking her daddy away from her?_

_Her father took a long pause and a deep breath before answering._

"_I don't know where I'm going yet. And…I'm not going to be coming back,"_

"_Not coming back?" Libby squeaked. Her father nodded sadly. Libby began sobbing and he pulled her close._

"_Elizabeth, even when I'm not here, I'll always love you," He pressed the beautiful rosewood jewelry box into her hands._

>>>>>>>>>>>>>_  
_

Hurley glanced over at Libby and saw the faraway look in her eyes. He realized how little he knew about this woman, yet even so, even though he had known her for about a day, he felt this connection with her. She obviously hadn't had the easiest life, and maybe he'd be able to penetrate that shell a tiny bit.

Eventually, the look faded and was replaced by that of happiness.

"I never realized how much I took things like music for granted before the island," She said softly, "It's so nice to be able to hear it again,"

Hurley nodded in reply, and Libby twirled around a couple times. He smiled at this, it was so beautiful to see her happy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Several hours later, Hurley's shift ended. He and Libby were just about to leave then Locke stopped them.

"Libby, could I have a quick word with you?"

Libby turned around, confused. Hurley did the same.

"Um, sure," She said, sounding anything but, "Hurley, you can go on, I'll catch up."

Hurley hesitated, then nodded, leaving Libby alone with Locke.

"Libby, I don't think we've met. I'm John Locke, but you can just call me John," He extended a hand, and Libby shook it tentatively, "Eko has mentioned you a couple times, and I've watched you occasionally,"

The last bit creeped Libby out quite a bit, but she tried not to show it and remained silent.

"There's something very important that you should know," He continued, "On this island, no one is tethered down by real-world affairs. You can start a new life here. But you have to be careful about how you use that life,"

"But what about after we get rescued? Then won't it be all over?" Libby asked. Locke simply smiled eerily.

"Who's to say we're going to get rescued? We've been here for almost two months. Besides, once people start to accept you, this place will feel just like home,"

Libby shook her head, a pained expression shadowing her face.

"This place will never be anything close to my home," She turned around and began heading towards the exit.

"Hurley's a nice guy! Give him a chance!" Locke called after her, "The island can heal you!"

_Give him a chance? The island can heal me? _Libby scoffed_ I don't need to be healed…I just need to prevent being hurt again. I am _not _going to fall for Hurley. We're just friends._

Just friends.

Just friends.

Just friends.

Right?


	5. Hatch Duty

A/N: Well, it's here! Chappie 5! The turning point of the whole story! Yippie! We're almost halfway done! BOOYAH BAYBAY!

Just a warning, this has a lot of Skate in it, so if you're Jate, deal with it, and feel free to hurl all the insults you want at me, as long as you REVIEW, DAMNIT!

Ok, read. Review. Or else the monkeys will eat you in your sleep –shifty eyes-.

Disclaimer (Which I've forgotten in past chapters): I don't own lost. I just own Libby's back story, Cece, Joe, Reba, and Libby's other various friends and family in other chapters.

* * *

Several weeks passed, and life on the island continued. People began to accept the tailies, even Ana Lucia (although she wasn't really Miss Popularity). Sawyer hustled along the road to recovery, him and Kate becoming inseparable in the process. Charlie was struggling to work things out with Claire, to gain back her trust. Sayid worked through his pain and his grieving. Michael continued to search for his lost son. Locke, along with Eko, were working together to discover the mysteries of the hatch. The two recently reunited couples were joyously picking up where they left off, although people did have to remind Sun and Jin that merely tarps separated them from the rest of the camp, and they might want to keep it down at night. It even looked like Jack and Ana might have something going on, but with those two, who can tell?

All in all, life goes on when you're stuck on Craphole Island.

Libby and Hurley were still simply friends, although Hurley had expressed an interest in becoming "something more", Libby just needed the friendship. Libby did admit that Hurley was fun to talk to, and they both had a lot in common. They had been raised in fairly Christian homes, but though Hurley had stayed religious, Libby had begun to lose faith as a child, and then later stopped believing completely.

_A 12 year old Libby sat cross-legged on her bed, listening to a walkman and writing in a diary. An older blonde girl glared at her._

"_Libby, could you shut up? I'm _trying_ to study for my history midterm!" The girl complained, glancing over at Libby from the desk she sat at._

"_So-ree! I didn't _ask_ to share a room with you, Cece," Libby retorted _

"_Yeah, ever since Dad left, and Mom lost her job…" Cecil began._

"_And we had to move into this tiny, smelly apartment, yeah, I know the story," Libby finished impatiently, "I thought you had to _study_,'_

"_I do. Now, shut up,"_

_As if on cue, the phone rang. Cecil and Libby glanced at each other before the older girl let out an exasperated sigh and got up to answer it. Libby listened to her sister's side of the conversation._

"_Hello, Simmons residence…no, this is Cecil…oh, hi Grandma…Mom's at a job interview…what's wrong?...Oh my god!...What hospital?...Um, what _state_ is that in…I have a driver's license, but I don't have a car!...Mom won't want us to leave!...yeah, I wanna see him…ok, Grandma…we'll stay right here…no, we'll be fine…love you too…buh-bye," Cecil hung up the phone with shaking hands as Libby looked on with fear-wide eyes._

"_Dad was in a car accident," Cecil whispered, as if saying it softer would lighten the blow. She looked paralyzed with fear, which was exactly how Libby felt herself; "Grandma said she'd call us if something happened,"_

_Libby expected something like this, but it still came as a crushing blow. She felt nauseated. How could her grandmother expect her to just sit here and wait for something to happen, something to go wrong or right? It could be hours. And it was._

_Time dragged on, and nothing of interest happened. The girls had no way of contacting their mother. They could do nothing but wait._

_When the phone rang a few hours later. Neither of them wanted to answer it. After the 5th ring, Cecil reluctantly got up and answered it with a nervous "Hello?"_

_Libby held her breath, praying for good news. But the moment her sister began sobbing, Libby knew all hope was lost._

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _

Hurley cared deeply for Libby, and perhaps that was why he was always worried about her. She had been fairly cheerful after her initial post-funeral breakdowns, but sometimes it felt like there was a veil of misery that hung over her, and sometimes it slipped in front of her face in clear view of everyone else. She was a cheerful, beautiful woman underneath the veil, but something had happened to bring that upon her.

He realized how little he actually knew about her. He had never figured out what her cryptic request meant, "Please don't fall in love with me." But maybe it wasn't anything to be worried about. After all, he had just met Libby a couple weeks ago. Yet, in island time, it seemed much longer. He'd made several attempts to show her that he wanted to be more than just friends, but so far, she had brushed him off. He had another plan, though, and he wasn't going to give up. It would at least be an opportunity to get to know her better, if nothing else. Now, he just had to find her…

"Charlie, dude, have you seen Libby?" He asked his friend as he saw him on the beach.

"I saw her going into the jungle a couple hours ago, haven't seen her since then," Charlie replied. As if on cue, Libby walked out of the trees with Sun, chatting amiably with the other woman. Charlie looked from Libby, to Hurley, "Well, there you go, mate,"

Hurley watched Libby as she and Sun met up with Jin, and Libby left the other woman with her husband. Only then did he start walking over to her. She noticed him, and she smiled.

"Hey there," She called. He returned her smile.

"So," He said, meeting up with her, "Where have you been all day?"

"Helping Sun in her garden," Libby replied. Together they sat down on a log a little ways away from the massive signal fire that had not once gone out since the night they had crashed. Evening was just beginning to fall.

"Sounds like fun," Hurley said. In truth, it didn't, but Hurley knew gardening was sort of a woman thing, and Libby probably found it enjoyable.

"It was," Libby said, "I've always loved gardening, but I never really had the time…"

She was doing it again. The veil fell over her face and memories filled her eyes. Memories of what, Hurley had no idea, but it was nothing good. He looked at her worriedly, wishing there were something more that he could do.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Damn memories. She was happy one minute, then the next they'd come and bring the pain with them. Would there ever be a time when she could think of him and be happy?

She heaved a sigh, and looked back at Hurley, with what she knew was an incredibly fake smile. A few moments passed in silence before Hurley spoke.

"Hey…can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," He sounded nervous. That wasn't a good sign.

"D'you wanna do hatch duty together tomorrow night?" He asked. Yep. Nervous.

Libby looked at him, not sure whether to laugh, or just be shocked.

"Are you asking me on a date?"

Hurley turned bright red.

"No! Well…maybe…yes…sort of…just as friends…" Hurley mumbled.

Libby was silent for a moment. She hadn't dated in so many years. A "no" was on the tip of her tongue, but something tugged at the corners of her mind. It was just as friends. It couldn't be that big of a deal…

"Sure," She agreed, "But just as friends,"

"Great!" Hurley said excitedly, "I'll go tell Locke!"

Libby nodded and smiled. Hurley was her closest friend on the island, but often Libby felt like she barely knew him. She could tell there was more to him than the comic fat guy, and perhaps she could use their little "date" as an opportunity to find out more. Of course, she couldn't blame him for keeping secrets, considering the secrets she herself kept, but being a psychologist, it was her nature to be curious about these things. She had to admit, she was looking forward to their evening together.

But by the next evening, Libby was having second thoughts. This was starting to feel more like a date and less like an outing with a friend. She seriously turning around and running, but as she saw Hurley looking at her eagerly from the path to the hatch, she couldn't bear to let the poor guy down.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Hurley greeted Libby, and the two chatted about this and that. Hurley couldn't help noticing how beautiful she was. She was always beautiful, tonight was no different, but all the same…

She was wearing jeans and a sky-blue t-shirt, simple, but that was Libby. Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders. He preferred it that way, though he never dared voice his opinion.

The hatch seemed empty as they walked in, but Hurley heard a voice coming from the bedroom.

"Be right back, Freckles, I think someone's here,"

Moments later, a shirtless Sawyer appeared in the living room. In his hand, there was a balled-up piece of purple cloth.

"Um…hi," Hurley said uncomfortably. Libby knew how he felt. They had obviously interrupted something.

"Freckles, our replacements are here!" Sawyer called. Then, turning back to Hurley and Libby, he smirked, "Got a hot date planned for her tonight, Deep Dish?"

Hurley's face went red, and Libby felt her cheeks go hot as well.

"We're just doing hatch duty," Libby insisted.

"That's what Kate and I were doin'" Sawyer's smirk grew wider. Just then, Kate's angry shriek rang out from the bedroom.

"_Sawyer!_ Where the hell did you put my shirt?"

Sawyer put on a mock disappointed face, and headed back into the bedroom. Moments later, he returned with a fully dressed and fully embarrassed Kate.

"Well, good luck you two. Freckles ain't the first one to get lucky down here, and she's sure as hell not gonna be the last,"

Kate shot Sawyer an annoyed glance, and threw another balled up piece of cloth at Sawyer's head.

"Put your shirt on. We're leaving,"

"Yes ma," Sawyer feigned annoyance. As he was leaving, Sawyer shot Hurley a thumb's up over his shoulder. Libby rolled her eyes.

"Those two are quite the pair," Libby muttered. Hurley nodded, laughing.

"I can't believe everyone used to think she and Jack were soul mates,"

"I could hardly imagine that," Libby replied.

"Sooo…are you hungry?" Hurley asked, ever eager to please, "There's still a couple of frozen dinners left,"

"Any other options?"

"Nope, the hatch was pretty much cleaned out…unless you want me to go get some fish from the beach,"

Libby grimaced, "I'll have the frozen dinner," She'd had way too much of fish with these castaways. Then again, you couldn't really be picky on a deserted island. Frozen dinner or French cuisine, it was a welcome change from the usual diet.

"That's what I thought. I'll go get 'em fired up," Hurley headed into the pantry and grabbed two boxes, sticking them in the oven and flipping a couple switches. Just then, the alarm began to ring. Libby made her way over to the computer. Her fingers hovered above the keys as she glanced at the little post-it with the numbers written on them. She didn't notice the slight shadow that flickered over Hurley's face.

The keys were worn and faded under her fingertips, an odd familiarity to her pre-island life. Worn and faded.

_Libby, stop comparing yourself to the keyboard and type in the numbers!_ She told herself. She did, and the alarm ceased as the clock fluttered back to 108. She returned to the kitchen just as the timer on the oven began to buzz.

_One alarm after another_, Libby thought amusedly. Hurley grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the two dinners out of the oven. He gestured for Libby to sit down, which she did. He came over with one of the dinners.

"Bon apatite, Mademoiselle," His French accent was horrible, but he made a big show of setting the food in front of her, which was cute. Libby let out a giggle, which quickly turned to a grimace as she looked at the dish in front of her.

"It looks like school lunch food,"

"It's either this or fish," Hurley pointed out.

"Suddenly, this doesn't look so bad," Libby smiled, digging in.

They ate their dinner in silence, each too wrapped up in their own thoughts. Libby's already present uneasiness was growing ever larger. Their flirting the moment before only added to her sense that this was becoming a date. And yet…not all of her was opposed to that. Hurley brought out the girl in her, the unfamiliar young woman that hadn't been present for many years.

"_Oh my gosh, did you_ see_ that new senior who transferred?" _

_Libby smiled at her friend Reba and nodded her blonde head. She had _definitely_ seen him. He was in her first period class. Joseph Donnagun._

"_Isn't he the most adorable guy ever? Oh, there he is!" Reba pointed over at the fountain in front of the school, sitting with a math textbook on his lap. Libby's heart fluttered like a butterfly then was smashed on the metaphorical windshield inside her as she saw Reba sauntering over to Joe._

_Reba was the queen bee of the school. With brown, glossy hair framing her perfect face and dark, mysterious eyes, a model's figure, and flawless skin, Reba was the bait no guy could resist. Including, Libby supposed, Joe. Libby was simply the sidekick who got all the rejects or the best friends or whatever._

_Libby watched her best friend working her magic on the new guy. She was too far away to hear, but she knew The Face. The expression every guy got when they realized a hottie like Reba was actually giving them the time of day._

_But then, something amazing happened._

_About a minute into the conversation, Libby realized that Joe did not have The Face. He was not looking smitten, half drooling. His eyes were not locked onto one of the various parts of Reba's body. The senior was staring over her shoulder._

_Right at Libby._

After the dinner dishes had been cleared away, Hurley went over to the record player, Libby trailing into the living room after him.

"You like Frank Sinatra?" He asked her, selecting a record.

"Definitely," She said, smile lighting up her face. She was a sucker for older music.

Hurley headed over to the record player, and a very familiar song began playing, one of Libby's favorites, "Cheek to Cheek".

"Do you…want to dance?" Hurley asked quickly, his face flushing red.

A thousand thoughts began flying through Libby's mind at once _Yes…no…yes…no…just one dance…wrong idea…not again…can't hurt…yes…no…_

"Yes," The answer flew past Libby's lips. The strange thing was, she didn't want to change her mind. Like a middle school kid at a first dance, he tentatively reached for her hand and pulled her to the middle of the dance floor. As they settled into each other's arms, Libby expected it to be uncomfortable, but it wasn't. Strangely, it felt very natural to have Hurley's arms around her. Ever so softly, Libby began to sing along with the music.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven  
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak  
And I seem to find the happiness I seek  
When were out together dancing cheek to cheek

Heaven, I'm in heaven  
And the cares that hung around me through the week  
Seem to vanish like a gamblers lucky streak  
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hurley could not believe his luck! He hadn't danced with anyone since high school (and he suspected a lot of the girls he did dance with only did it out of pity) and here he was with a gorgeous blonde. Not just _any_ gorgeous blonde, but _Libby,_ who was nice and smart and funny and beautiful and mysterious and _amazing_. When he'd first talked to her, he half expected to be shunned, but here he was, her in his arms, dancing, her soft singing giving him goose bumps. Amazing how these things worked out! If only Johnny could see him now!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

"Oh I'd love to climb a mountain  
And reach the highest peak  
But it doesn't thrill me half as much  
As dancing cheek to cheek

Oh I'd love to go out fishing  
In a river or a creek  
But I don't enjoy it half as much  
As dancing cheek to cheek"

Libby sang, her voice growing a bit stronger. She was feeling such a mix of emotions. She was happier than she'd been in so long, but a fist of cold terror had its grip on her and wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. She was afraid she'd end up regretting this. And the fact that she was enjoying the dance was what scared her the most.

"You have a beautiful voice," He whispered in her ear during one of the instrumental breaks. She felt her face grow hot as a blush crept over it.

"Thanks," She replied just as softly. There was no reason to whisper, yet little things like that felt like a secret in the heat of the moment.

"Come on and dance with me  
I want my arms about you  
Those charms about you  
Will carry me through...

Right up to heaven, I'm in heaven  
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak  
And I seem to find the happiness I seek  
When were out together dancing, out together dancing  
Out together dancing cheek to cheek"

The vocals faded, and the song ended. Another song began, but for whatever reason, the two stood still, left standing in each other's arms. Libby was breathless, while Hurley was positively beaming.

_That was…_Libby thought, but even in her mind she couldn't find the words to describe the emotions running through her head. Her gaze locked into his and her mouth went numb.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hurley too was speechless. He knew it would be a good idea to say _something_, but what, he couldn't even begin to fathom.

As he stood, trapped in her penetrating gaze, as Frank Sinatra crooned on in the background, he realized something.

He wasn't going to be able to honor her request.

Please don't fall in love with me.

_Sorry, Libby,_ He thought as he began to lean towards her.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The dance had been wonderful. There was no doubt about that.

But Libby had made it clear to him that he was to keep his distance. It was her fault for not enforcing that. Enforced or not, knowing Hurley it was obvious that he would not heed any warnings. He obviously had feelings for her. The way he acted, it was a crush, reminiscent of grade school.

Even so, nothing could have prepared Libby for what happened next.

Hurley's lips captured hers.

_To be continued…_

A/n: Cliffy, I know! The next chap'll be soon! One more week of school left! Now, I'm reminding you again, PLEASE review! I won't post the next chap unless I get two reviews that AREN'T Tibieryo's (Sorry, dude, you review every chap, I want different people…but please keep reviewing! I love you! Mwah!) REVIEW!


	6. Joe Returns

Ok! Finally, the next chapter. This was not edited, cuz I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, and my beta is taking too long, so go easy on me. Next chap will be whenever I get around to it...

Also, I have this idea for another story that focuses on all the charachters (dead and alive, that will be explained), but it has some gaping holes in it that I can't seem to fill in, so, stealing the idea from Kissbangx3 and CharliesHoodie, I was thinking about doing a dual authored thing. If anyone is interested in writing it with me, pm me, and I will reply first to find out if you meet my criteria (which, sorry, I'm not listing here. But don't worry, it's not too strict) then to explain my plot idea. It's going to be mostly drama and romance with a little bit of sci fi elements, cuz it's Lost

Mkay, so now that's announced, go on and read this story! We're more that halfway done (chapter 6/11). I'm not updating unless I get to 24 reveiws (total)

For a moment, Libby's brain shut down.

She couldn't think. She could only feel.

Feel Hurley's lips softly touching hers. Feel his hands at her waist. Feel the gentle tickles of his hair brushing her cheek.

For a split second she was enjoying it. She forgot about everything, before, on, and after the island. All that existed were herself and Hurley. The here and now.

Suddenly, alarm bells went off.

_Ohmygod! Hurley's kissing me! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap! I can't do this!_

Libby pulled herself away, taking several steps back and staring at Hurley with wide, horrified eyes. She was furious with herself. How could she do that to Hurley? To her kids? To herself? To _Joe?_ Painfully, she remembered their first kiss.

_Libby liked the aloneness of the park by her house. Here she could escape her mother and whatever man was with her, usually someone who thought she was just another miscreant teen. It was October, on a Monday evening, so the park wasn't very crowded, just the occasional biker or dog walker here and there. Here she didn't have the pressure of school, or Reba. She didn't have to act blonde in private. Here, popularity didn't matter._

"_Hey…Libby, right?" Libby whirled around, looking at whatever the source of the voice behind her was. Her heart skipped a beat, as her eyes fell on the adorable new senior she'd been crushing on. And it wasn't just for his looks. She had been watching (stalking) him since school had started, and he was very intelligent, and a really nice guy. It was obsession to the highest level_

"_Uhhh…yeah…" She said nervously, "Hi, Joe_

"_What's up?" He asked conversationally. Libby shrugged not trusting herself to speak._

"_It's so nice out here," He continued. Libby cringed. He was talking about the weather. Was she that boring? His next words consoled her a little bit , "It's probably raining buckets back home,"_

"_Right, you moved here from Seattle didn't you?" She remembered. He nodded, sitting down on a nearby bench. She sat down as well._

"_Do you like it down here?" She asked, practically feeling heat radiate off of his body, even though he was a foot away. It sent tingles down her spine._

_Joe shrugged, "The place is nice, but it's hard fitting into a new high school, especially as a senior,"_

"_Wasn't my friend Reba flirting with you on your first day?"_

"_Yeah, but she's a bitch, and she has a boyfriend," Joe scoffed._

"_Had," Libby corrected, "She broke up with Trevor two days ago,"_

"_Trevor? I thought she was going out with Dean!" Joe said confusedly._

"_Are you kidding me? She broke up with him a couple days after you came to the school," Libby explained._

_Joe's eyes widened, "I've only been at Santa Rosa High for two weeks!"_

"_Yep,"_

"_Bitch," Joe said again, "I want a girl with more commitment,"_

"_Any girls at our school you are interested in?" Libby asked daringly, with an almost flirty tone to her voice._

"_Yep," Joe said with a smile, and Libby's heart fluttered nervously, "you,"_

_Libby froze. She didn't know what to say to that, but luckily, she didn't have to worry. Joe broke the shocked silence by kissing her._

_Oh, crap,_ Hurley thought, _I should have known it would be a bad idea. Crap!_

"Oh, Libby, I-I'm sorry…I shouldn't…I know you told me…" Hurley stammered, taking a step towards her. He could see tears sparkling in her eyes.

"It's not your fault," She said in a small, choked, voice, as she took another step away from him.

"Yes, it is," He insisted, "Libby, I'm so sorry,"

"Don't" Libby said, tears streaming down her face. She turned and began running for the door of the hatch.

"Libby, wait!" He called after her, "Please, will you wait until our shift is over? It's dark out, and we've only got one flashlight and you of all people should know the dangers of this island,"

Libby stopped and turned around. He was right.

"Okay," She said in a thin, defeated voice. She looked up at him, swallowed hard, and continued, "Hurley, I think it'd be best if we stopped spending time together. I'll be in the bedroom if you need me,"

She turned away so she didn't have to see the crestfallen look she knew would be on his face. Hurting him hurt her, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

She entered the bedroom and sat on the rumpled bed sheets. Her fingers fluttered over them, thinking enviously of Sawyer and Kate's experiences in the same room during the previous sessions. From what Libby had heard, the two hadn't exactly had easy lives, and both had lost a lot (as it seemed many people on the island had). So why they were still open to love, yet she couldn't bear to?

_Libby had no sooner gotten home from work and paid the sitter when the phone rang that evening. She grabbed the receiver in the hallway on the way to the kids' room._

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey, Lib, it's me," came her sister's familiar voice._

"_Hey, Cece, what's up?" Libby cradled the phone against her shoulder as she carried her six-month old baby son to the kitchen and set him in his high chair._

"_D'you have plans Saturday night?" Cecil asked eagerly._

"_No…why?" Libby asked her sister suspiciously. _

"_I met a totally awesome guy yesterday at a bar, when I was waiting for Greg to show up-,"_

"_Greg?" Libby interjected._

"_My boyfriend," Cecil said impatiently," Anyway, about the guy I met, his name is Jack, he's a spinal surgeon, very hardworking, his wife just recently left him, and he's totally sexy! He has the most gorgeous eyes…"_

"_Cece…why are you telling me this? I'm glad for you that you found such a great guy, but didn't you just say you already have a boyfriend?" Libby didn't like where this was leading._

"_Well, he asked for my number, and I probably would go out with him if it weren't for Greg, but actually, I told him I'd try and set him up with you!"_

_Libby let out an exasperated sigh._

"_I've told you, Cece, I don't want to date anybody," She said insistently, "I don't have the time," She handed Ricky a bottle of warm milk and sat down at the kitchen table._

"_Do you want to be a single mother all your life?"_

"_Mom did just fine with us," Libby pointed out. This wasn't exactly true, but she wanted the argument to be over._

"_You call all those crappy apartments in dangerous neighborhoods _fine?_ Besides, you don't want Ricky to grow up without a father figure, do you?" Cece asked_

"_If I get my heart broken again, he'll grow up without a mother figure as well. This argument is over. Goodbye," Libby hung up the phone without waiting for a reply._

_Miserably, Libby buried her face in her hands, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Cece was wrong!_

_Wasn't she?_

Libby let her head fall onto one of the pillows on the bed, tears falling freely. She did not know how long she lay there. The timer went off, and she heard Hurley's heavy footsteps heading towards the computer. She didn't know how much time passed, nor did she care.

"Libby?"

Her heart stopped. Despite not hearing it for one year, three months, one week, six days, and about four hours, she would know that voice anywhere.

She felt like her heart had stopped. Her stomach turned to ice, and she couldn't bear to look up.

"J-joe?" She asked, in a shock-hushed voice. She felt a gentle hand on her back, and she finally consented to looking up. It really was him. She felt her eyes fill with tears, and her husband's figure swam before her.

"Joe…" She repeated, her voice thick with tears. He pulled her to him and hugged her tight as she wept into his chest.

"Libs, honey, it's okay," He murmured, stroking her hair.

"I can't do this! I need you!" She sobbed, tightening her grip on him and not ever intending to let him go.

"Libby, just because care for somebody else doesn't mean you love me any less," He told her softly.

"But…but...Hurley…Joe…," Libby choked. She couldn't manage to string a sentence together.

"Baby, you need to let go,"

"I can't let go!" Libby cried. But her dead husband had already pulled away from her, making as if to leave the room. She grabbed onto his hand.

"Let go," He repeated. Tearfully, she tried, but her fingers seemed to be glued onto his wrist. Finally, she pried her fingers off of him. As soon as she did so, it was as if the floor dropped from under her. She was falling into a bottomless pit. She screamed, but no sound came out. Joe's echoing voice came out of nowhere.

"You need someone else to hold on to,"

Libby awoke with a jolt. She was on the floor of the bedroom-she must have fallen asleep, and fallen off the bed. She sat up, and wiped tears off her face with a shaking hand. Her head ached-she must have hit it when she fell.

So it was a dream. A very real dream, but a dream nonetheless. But she of all people knew that dreams often held meanings. Falling was an easy one. Among other things, it meant that she was feeling overwhelmed and out of control, which she definitely was, with Hurley.

Then there was talking to her dead husband. Talking to a dead loved one in dreams was something that came up a lot with her patients.

Often times, talking to the dead in dreams was a way to resolve issues with those who have passed on.

So had she really resolved her issues with her husband's death? Was she ready to take control of the situation with Hurley? Was she truly ready to let go of Joe and hold on to someone else, as he had told her to? And was that "someone else" Hurley?

Or was the dream just that…a dream? Did it really mean anything, or was it just her screwed up mind? What the hell was she supposed to do?

"What am I supposed to do?" She voiced her thoughts aloud, half expecting to see her husband again and have all her questions answered. But, obviously, no one spoke, "What am I supposed to do?" She repeated, tears falling down her face.

Still on the floor, she banged her head against the side of the bed in frustration. Damn, that hurt. But somehow the pain felt refreshing.

After several minutes, she finally struggled to her feet. Her face felt swollen and puffy from crying, and she headed to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hurley, sitting alone and miserable on the couch in the hatch. The sight of it made her want to burst into tears all over again, but she forced herself not to. She could be happy on her own. There was other people on the island she could be friends with, people who weren't interested in a romantic relationship.

She looked at her reflection and forced a smile. It looked horribly fake, but she could work on it.

"It's getting there. You can be happy, you know," She told herself.

Hurley heard a crash coming from the bedroom. He glanced over at the doorway, but it was closed. He contemplated getting up to see if Libby was okay, but thought better of it.

She had told him to get the hell out of her life, and this time, he was going to listen to her.

A few minutes later, he heard her saying something, followed by sobs, and a quieter banging noise.

The sobs continued for several minutes, and Hurley felt his heart ache. This was his fault. He'd ruined a perfect friendship by getting a little bit too friendly. And now they were both miserable.

He heard her footsteps heading towards the bathroom, and he determinedly focused his eyes at a small dark stain on the rug. As he attempted to ignore Libby's presence, he realized that the stain was in a heart shape. In his mind he saw the little heart ripping in two. Damn it. He shook that image out of his head, but it stuck there. Burned into his mind. His heart ripping in two. And at that moment, he was filled with an overwhelming sadness.

He was such an idiot! She had warned him, but he had ignored it. He should have known. But he didn't. He had to do something. But what?

After that fateful night in the hatch, Libby's attitude and personality changed. Everyone noticed it, even Libby herself. No one dared say anything, though.

Those who didn't know her before liked her. She was always cheerful and happy and bubbly. She talked to and was friends with everyone. She even flirted a little bit with some of the guys. She was a new (and some said better) person.

Those who few who truly knew her realized the difference. She'd always been kind and friendly to everyone, but she'd always had her solemn, serious side. She wasn't the type to flirt and laugh and joke. That was just a face she put up, just like when she was Reba's sidekick back in high school.

But on the island, some people knew the difference, and it wasn't long before someone confronted her. Two someones, actually. Rose and Bernard.

They approached her one evening, around sunset, after she had retired to her tent.

"Libby?" Bernard's voice came from outside. She could hear the concern in his voice and she groaned inwardly. She knew it wouldn't be long before people saw through her. Nevertheless, the plastered on a fake smile.

"Come in," She said in a syrupy sweet, horribly cheerful voice. Rose and Bernard made their way into her tent and sat down, their eyes full of concern. It was a look she recognized, a look she dreaded, "So…what's up,"

"Libby, are you okay? You're not acting like yourself,"

Bernard was the only person on the island who knew about her husband, and it was only that that made her hesitate from spitting out a quick "I'm fine" and making Bernard and his wife leave. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, and Rose spoke.

"Honey, this has something to do with Hurley, doesn't it," Rose said sympathetically, "The poor child has been miserable for the last few days,"

Libby's heart clenched.

"I didn't mean to hurt him!" She cried, "But he kissed me…and I just couldn't…"

Through the blur of tears she could see Bernard's concern and Rose's confusion.

"Libby, can I explain to Rose about your husband?" Bernard asked

Libby nodded, glad not to have to do it herself. So Bernard explained what had happened to Joe, and soon Rose's look of confusion changed to mirror her husband's concern.

"Libby, honey, let me tell you something," Rose went closer to Libby and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Before we crashed here I had cancer. The doctor had given me only a year to live, and Bernard knew that when he married me," Rose explained, "Somehow, the island has healed me, yet I don't know what will happen when we're rescued,"

Libby gasped, and looked over at Bernard, "You never told me that!"

"I didn't want to talk about it. I thought Rose was dead," He said softly.

"I knew I was going to die, and Bernard and I had always agreed that he would not spend his life in mourning after I died. I didn't want him to be miserable, and I wanted him to go on with life normally," Rose explained, "I'm sure Joe would have felt the same,"

"I understand what you're saying," Libby said mournfully, "I've been told that before. But I just can't bear to get my heart broken again,"

"You know the old saying, 'It's better to have loved and lost-," Bernard began, and Libby cut him off with a nod.

"Than to never have loved at all," Libby sighed, "You're right. Maybe I should stop being so miserable all the time,"

"Good for you," Rose said encouragingly, "Now, why don't you go find Hurley,"

For the first time in several days, Libby allowed herself a true smile.

"Thank you both so much,"

"You're welcome. Now, go," Bernard said.

Libby nodded confidently, and the couple wished her good luck as she headed out to try and fix her mistake.


	7. Loves Me, Loves Me Not

All I can say is...I'm sorry for the uberlong delay. I've been...busy? Please don't stone me. Just read it and review. Again, this was not edited because my beta has given up on me. Have a happy...spring break? For some of you? Next week for me! Ok just read the story/

* * *

By the time Libby made her way to the part of the beach where she had last seen Hurley, she was having second thoughts. She could hear Cece's voice as she argued with herself

_You'll regret it if you let yourself get too vulnerable again._

_It's a desert island. Who's he gonna leave you for?_

_He could die._

_Jeez, don't be such a freaking pessimist!_

_But the kids…_

_Girl, the kids aren't here. You're on a deserted island!_

_He could…_

_SHUT UP!_

But her subconscious seemed to want this. Though her brain protested, her feet carried her to where Hurley stood alone, chucking rocks into the water.

"Hey there," She called, making her way nervously across the beach. One chance. She would give him one more chance.

"I thought you said we shouldn't be talking to each other," His voice was stony, and he refused to look at her.

"Hurley, I was scared and upset," Libby pleaded "I didn't want to hurt you, really. I like you, I do. I just needed things to move more slowly,"

He didn't reply, didn't look at her. Libby's eyes welled up. She couldn't have ruined it.

"I miss you…" She murmured, taking a step towards him. He finally looked at her.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. He smiled a little, and she returned the gesture as he pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry I took things too fast," He mumbled into her hair.

"I'm sorry I overreacted and hurt you in doing so,"

"Can I kiss you, or will you freak out again?" Hurley asked as he pulled away a bit to look at her.

Libby gave him her answer by kissing him.

As their lips met, Libby prayed she wouldn't end up heartbroken for the third time.

_Libby had been with Joe for several months, and thing had been perfect. Libby couldn't remember a time where she had been happier. Everyone agreed that Libby and Joe were a match made in heaven. But Libby knew differently. Heaven was never-ending happiness (or so all the Christians seemed to think). Libby knew that come June, a wrench would be thrown in their relationship. Libby was a junior. Joe was a senior._

_And that wrench was college._

_Joe seemed confident that things wouldn't have to end once he left. After all, he was only going to UCLA, which wasn't all that far away. But there was still the threat of college life, college schedules, and most of all, college girls._

_And just after Valentines Day, Joe delivered an unexpected bit of news._

"_Hey there, cutie," Joe's standard greeting always made Libby blush and giggle a little bit. This day was no different, as he slid into a seat across from her at a table in their favorite coffee shop. But Joe's grin faded quickly._

"_Hey, Libs, baby, there's actually something important I need to talk to you about," Joe said uncomfortably._

_Libby raised a questioning eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue._

"_I…I got accepted at Harvard," Joe said, grinning despite himself. Libby sat in stunned silence. She wasn't sure how to react. Sure, going to law school was his dream, but Harvard? All the way on the other side of the country._

"_That's…that's…great," She choked. It was only February. A lot could happen before June. Who knew if they would actually be together?_

"_Libby, I know you're scared that this isn't gonna work out between us," Joe took her hand._

_Libby nodded, feeling her throat choke up._

"_You have to know, I will do everything in my power to make this work when I'm gone," Joe continued, "You're not just some little fling to me,"_

"_Yeah…but…" Libby began in a soft voice, but Joe cut her off._

"_I love you,"_

_It wasn't the first time Libby had heard those words._

_But…_

"_I love you too,"_

_It was the first time she could reciprocate them._

Hurley was in love. Never having been in love before, it was a strange and terrifying experience. Guiltily, he remembered her warning, please do not fall in love with me. But that didn't matter to him. It was too late.

All too soon they broke apart, and Hurley could see that a tear had made its way down Libby's cheek. He tenderly wiped it away with his thumb.

"You…you good?" He asked slowly, nervously.

Her face cracked into a wide smile. She nodded.

"Better than ever,"

From that moment on, the two were inseparable. News of them getting together spread like wildfire through the camp. Some people were more of the "it's about time" thoughts; others were simply surprised that Hurley actually got a girl. They were the "match made in heaven". But Hurley knew differently.

Once they were officially an "item", as some liked to call it, he expected her to open up more. But thought they talked a lot, her past was still, for the most part, a mystery to him. He knew that she still didn't trust him, and he was determined to change that. It frustrated him, because he could get her upset for what seemed like no reason at all

After days of consideration of ways he could change her mind, he finally remembered a question she'd asked him not long after they'd met. She wanted to find the contents of her suitcase. Something in her voice implied that her request was about more than just material possessions, something important to her had been lost. And Hurley knew just the person to ask to find something like that.

Sawyer.

"Hey, dude, I need you to help me find something," Hurley said, ducking into Sawyer's tent.

"Whoa, there, Lardo, you don't just barge in on a man like that," Sawyer said sarcastically, "I coulda been getting' it on with Freckles,"

"Aw, Kate's probably off doing heroic adventure stuff. I need your help," Said Hurley.

"You've come looking for your girlfriend's stuff," Sawyer smirked, "It's about time,"

"Do you have any of it?" Hurley asked, his eyes lighting up.

"As a matter of fact I do," Sawyer said slyly, "But I'm not sure you want it."

"What do you mean?"

Sawyer didn't answer, instead opening his suitcase and rifling around for a moment before producing a photo album, a diary, and a jewelry box.

"First of, this," Sawyer handed Hurley two rings from box. Hurley's heart skipped a beat. _Wedding rings?_

"Rings. So?" He tried not to show his worry.

"Read the inscriptions," Sawyer prompted.

"ELS + JRD, Forever and Always," Hurley read aloud, careful not to meet Sawyer's eye,

"Libby's initials are ELD,"

"Yep. They had that ring engraved before she was married," Sawyer flipped open to the first page in the photo album. Hurley looked at it and saw a carefree, younger Libby in a wedding dress, kissing a handsome, _thin_ man. Hurley pulled the album away from Sawyer and flipped further. There was an exhausted-looking Libby in a hospital bed holding a newborn child. Further, Libby and Husband sitting in pajamas around a Christmas tree, Husband holding a toddler and Libby a diamond necklace. Libby was looking at her husband like he was the only thing in her world. Tentatively, Hurley opened up the jewelry box and sure enough, there was the same necklace. Another picture, a pregnant Libby was helping the same toddler blow out two birthday candles.

"Seen enough?" Sawyer said, "Or do you want to read the diary? It's not bad reading. Apparently this Joe guy is damn good in the bedroom," He waved the little notebook .

"Stop," Hurley said, his voice devoid of any anger Sawyer was surely expecting. He wasn't angry yet. It was like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He couldn't feel the anger or pain. He had to catch his breath, "Just give it to me,"

Surprisingly, Sawyer obliged without another word. Hurley gathered up Libby's things, and got the hell out of there before Sawyer could procure some other item forcing Hurley to accept his replacement status.

He went straight to his tent, not yet ready to seek out Libby. He opened the photo album, looked at a couple pictures of his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend's smiling family, but he began to feel sick to he slammed it shut.

Suddenly, a tidal wave of rage washed over him. How could Libby have done this to him? He should have known…that's what her warning meant.

He figured he shouldn't be so crushed. He'd been rejected more times than he could count.

So why was he so upset?

Because, he concluded, Libby was different. Or so he thought. She was genuine, and intelligent, and sweet, and pure and so beautiful…He had worked hard to earn her love and respect, but in an instant it all came crashing down. He had been wrong about her. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She was just like every other bitch that had toyed with him.

To his horror, he found himself fighting back tears. Jack, Sawyer, and Charlie had gotten lucky, yet he had simply managed to fall in love with the girl who was already married. He thought he had gotten lucky. But that was most definitely not so. He would always be the lonely, single, fat guy, destined to work at a chicken shack and have bad luck forever.

He let tears fall. He couldn't be this stupid! Maybe next time he'd think before falling head-over-heels in love with any old girl. But then again, there may not be a next time. After all, they'd probably be stranded on that stupid island for the rest of their miserable lives.

"Hurley?" A voice broke him out of his pity fest. An all too familiar voice.

"Hurley, are you in there?" Libby's voice came again.

"Yeah, I, uh, just got a headache, I was gonna take a nap or something," He lied, hiding her things, knowing he couldn't keep her out much longer.

"After seven years of being a shrink, I think I can tell when I'm being lied to," She said, ducking into the tent. She frowned upon seeing Hurley's expression.

"What's wrong?" She asked confusedly.

_Dude, it's now or never._

"We need to talk


End file.
